Alexander Stone: The Lost Son Of Hades
by the ghost king
Summary: 19 year old Alexander Stone is the long lost son of Hades, forgotten by almost everyone. He has dreams and visions telling him that his destiny awaits. There is a quest he must take, either to achieve victorious or to die in the process.
1. Chapter 1

**Alexander ~**

The Nemean Lion kept coming at me, lunging at my neck, trying to rip me apart limb from limb. I did a quick back flip, bounding away from where the lion's claws were right now. If it weren't for the training I received I would be lying in a heap on the floor right now. I raised my bow and took aim at the lion's mouth, just as it made a roar of frustration. I was about to let the arrow loose to kill the beast but suddenly, a dark haired boy jumped out of nowhere and ripped out a sword from its sheathe, blocking the perfect shot I had that would've ended the battle. Ugh, that idiot! I had it!

"Run now!" the boy yelled. "I'll take care of this, get away from the lion. We'll take you to some place where it's safe. Run!"

What was that boy talking about? I've been trained to fight all my life. I've been trained obviously not to protect myself from muggers or gangsters, but to kill monsters. I ignored what the boy said and scrambled up a tree. There I jumped, leaping from one tree to another. The boy was still fighting with the lion, but I could tell he was injured. Who could blame him? I mean if you're fighting against a monster with an invincible coat of fur then you're basically screwed, unless you bear the curse of Achilles, which this boy clearly doesn't. I watched from the tree, trying to look for a moment where I could jump in. The lion swiped its' claw at the boy, who now lay unconscious on the ground. The beast roared, almost like it was laughing; now slowly advancing on the boy. I jumped and landed on the lion's head, and it again, roared but this time in surprise. I quickly drew a sword of my own, and threw it in its mouth. After a few moments of being flung around wildly in the air, I finally landed on the ground with a thud, a cloud of gold dust in the air. I sighed and got up, brushing the dirt off of my black robe. I checked if my hood was still on. Good. I preferred to have it on; it was just me, melting into the shadows. I liked to be unknown by others. Slowly the boy began to gain consciousness and groaned. Suddenly he bolted up right and looked straight at me, my midnight black eyes, pierced into the dark, almost black eyes of the boy.

"How'd you? Wait a minute, your weapons … they're all Stygian iron. It can't be … you're the long lost child of Hades," he breathed out finally.

"That is correct. And you must be Nico, my half-brother. I'm Alexander… Alexander Stone. Come, we have much to discuss. Hold on to my arm now."

He laughed. "I can shadow travel too you know. Remember?" He waved his hand repeatedly up and down in front of my face. "I'm a son of Hades."

I growled. I did not like to be bothered or have my orders defied.

"My apartment has had spells put on. No one can enter except myself. Now hold on to my arm. I will not repeat that again."

He gulped and quickly grabbed onto my hand. Smart. I didn't want to mentally burn anyone alive, and I definitely didn't want to do that to my half-brother. It was a useful ability, but sadly only worked on half bloods. A few seconds later, we stood in the living room of my apartment.

"Sit." I said simply and gestured to one of the couches at the side.

He obeyed, which was extremely smart of him. Soon after he sat, I followed suit, sitting directly across from him in my favorite chair made with purple velvet. Slowly, I pushed my hood back and let it fall, allowing full view of my face.

"You have blonde hair!"

I was surprised. He didn't even mention the scar that ran down the left side of my face.

"Uh … do you have a problem with that?"

"No, it's just that all children of Hades have black hair. Well that's just as far as I know. Apparently I'm proven wrong." he gestured to me. "And, your face, the scar. You know, I'm curious. I've always heard that you would know if you saw the lost child of Hades because of the scar, but what happened?"

Damn, so much for hoping that nobody would notice. I sighed.

"Long story. Maybe I'll tell you next time. But now, you need to bring me to the place for us half bloods. Camp Half-Blood I think? It's time for me to fulfill my destiny. The dreams and the visions have told me so."

* * *

**So what do you think? Remember to R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alexander ~**

"Yeah sure! I'm telling you, you're going to love camp. Now grab onto my arm." Nico snickered as he repeated my words.

Nico laughed when I growled again at him. Ugh, I swear my half-brother will be the death of me. After a few seconds of pure darkness, we suddenly appeared under a pine tree. Why of course, that's Thalia's pine. I remembered the story I heard of the daughter of Zeus, who was turned into a tree by her father who took pity on her when she was left alone to fight an army of monsters. I took a look at my surroundings. The strawberry plantations seemed to be never ending. There were kids all over the place. They all seemed to be ranged from seven to sixteen year olds, all wearing battle armor or orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts.

We continued walking down the dirt path, passing the arena, which resembled the Coliseum that still stands in Rome, the amphitheater, volleyball courts, and the climbing wall before we stopped right in front of a blue four-story farmhouse.

"This is the Big House." Nico said pointing to the building right in front of us. "Oh yeah, and be respectful and everything because um … well, Mr. D is a god."

"Lord Dionysus I assume?"

Nico merely nodded and gestured at the door.

I pushed open the door, slowly walking in to see a rather porky man, and a man in a wheelchair playing pinochle.

"Ah Nico! It's nice to see you again. Look Mr. D, he's got a new camper with him too!" the man in the wheelchair said.

Mr. D or Dionysus didn't even seem to care. He just grumbled without looking up from his cards.

The man in the wheelchair turned to me with a warm smile on his face.

"Hello there. My name is Chiron, and I'm the activities director here. Mr. D over there is the camp director. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Now, what is your name?"

"Alexander, but you can call me Alex."

"I see. Ok Alex, do you have any idea who your Olympian parent is?"

"Yes, in fact I do. My father is Lord Hades."

Chiron's eyes seemed to pop out at the mention of dad's name.

Mr. D finally looked up from his cards and took a quick glance at me.

"That would explain the hood and black robes."

"A child of the Big Three? Interesting. Has Hades …" Chiron thought out loud and finally snapped back into reality. "How old are you Alex?"

"I appear to be 19 years old, but I've actually been around before the World Wars. Like Nico, I've been stuck in the Lotus Casino for quite a while."

"I see. All right then, Nico and I will be giving you the grand tour. Just let me get out of this wheelchair."

Slowly, his legs began to change into hooves, and the wheelchair vanished, revealing his true centaur form.

"Now, shall we?"

After a better look around the camp, they showed me the cabin that I would be staying in with Nico. The cabin was completely black, with two torches that blazed with green fire through day and night.

"Well Alex, that's about it. Dinner's at 6:30 so Nico you know what to do. That leaves you with less than half an hour, so why don't you just get yourself comfortable inside. I have to go check on some campers so I'll see you soon." Chiron trotted off leaving me with a grinning Nico by my side.

"So you ready to see the awesomeness of this cabin?" Nico said, while putting his arm over my shoulder.

I sighed. Brotherly love. Lovely.

* * *

The cabin was well … big, with skulls that decorated the front steps, with a door made of iron. The floor was full of dust, the walls painted black and everything black, the air was musty resembling the Underworld itself. There were surprisingly two beds in the cabin. The bed frames were made out of what looked like human bones, covered with an air mattress and black sheets. Typical Hades cabin, it felt just like I was at home. No this was my home now.

"You can take the left half of the room. Put whatever you want over there, it's yours now."

"Thanks Nico. But I'm just wondering, why are there two beds in this cabin?"

Nico's smile suddenly disappeared, replaced with an expressionless face.

"My sister, Bianca. I thought she was going to come back to me. I left it there for her. But she's never going to come back anymore."

"Nico … I'm sorry. If I had known, I wouldn't have asked."

"It's ok, it doesn't matter."

Suddenly a horn sound blasted through the camp.

"Come on. Dinner time."

We filed into the mess hall with a bunch of other campers. We were the last ones to get in since we were at the cabins, while the other campers were out dong their activities, so they were closer to the mess than we were.

"Ah there they are!" Chiron said from the table at the farthest end of the hall. "Campers settle down. First of all, the hunters, and Lady Artemis herself are going to be staying here for a while, so I expect all of you to behave yourselves. And one more thing, we have a new camper here today."

There were some cheers coming from the campers.

"Determined or undetermined?" I heard someone yell.

"Why don't we let him explain?" Chiron said, smiling at me.

I never liked to be put at the center of everyone's attention but guess what. I had more than a hundred half bloods, two-dozen hunters, a centaur, and three gods Dionysus, Hestia, and Artemis looking at me. Great, this is just … ugh!

"My name is Alexander Stone, but you can just call me Alex. And yes, to answer your question, I am determined; a son of Hades in fact. I was stuck in the Lotus Casino for a long time like Nico was. And one more thing, I am the lost child of Hades."

There was a collective gasp coming from everyone in the room.

"The … the … lost child of Hades?" someone stammered. "You mean that, it's real? You're the one who escaped the wrath of Lord Zeus? You're the one who survived after being hit by the master bolt?"

"Yes, that's why I have the scar." I took off my hood to show the campers the scar than ran down the left side of my face. "It's strange though, I survived the master bolt but can still be wounded or killed like a regular person. Oh and Chiron, there's a voice has been telling me that I must fulfill my destiny. A quest. I've also been having strange dreams. I keep seeing images of rivers and black water. Is that uh … normal?"

"Visions and … dreams? Destiny? Quest? Oh my, it's your first day here and you're going to see the oracle for the first time." Chiron looked at me, sudden concern in his eyes. "Rachel." he said, looking at the redheaded girl that sat two seats down from him.

Suddenly she began to float slightly in the air, and green smoke wisped out of her mouth, surrounding her.

**_A hero will step forth, _**

**_In a land of no joy,_**

**_To save the lost one, _**

**_With three instead of a convoy._**

**_One will emerge as the man of forgetfulness,_**

**_Hell and sky will reunite,_**

**_Sons of death, and daughter of lightning,_**

**_Brave the Underworld's bite._**

**_All against three,_**

**_And at one's great cost,_**

**_A loved one,_**

**_Will be lost._**

Slowly she descended back on the ground, collapsing on the closest chair, exhausted.

* * *

**A big thank you to those who reviewed. You know who you are (HuckleberryPeriwinkle and Mystery Composer) So what do you think? Remember to R&R! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Alexander ~**

I repeated the words of the oracle in my head.

_**A hero will step forth, **_

_**In a land of no joy,**_

_**To save the lost one, **_

_**With three instead of a convoy.**_

_**One will emerge as the man of forgetfulness,**_

_**Hell and sky will reunite,**_

_**Sons of death, and daughter of lightning,**_

_**Brave the Underworld's bite.**_

_**All against three,**_

_**And at one's great cost,**_

_**A loved one,**_

_**Will be lost.**_

Sons of death, and daughter of lighting; the sons of death are definitely Nico and I, then the daughter of lightning has to be … Thalia, daughter of Zeus, and lieutenant of the hunt. Ok so that's the three of us who will go on this quest

Oh Artemis is not going to like this at all.

I turned to the twelve year old looking goddess with blazing silver eyes who sat in the center of the Artemis table next to Thalia and the other hunters.

"Lady Artemis." I said as I bowed.

She nodded, gesturing for me to stand.

"I must ask for your permission to have your lieutenant Thalia join my quest to find 'the lost one'. That is if you will allow it."

The goddess stood up and walked slowly up to me. Even though I was six feet tall, and she only with a body of a twelve-year-old child seemed to be towering over me.

"I will, if you make sure that she returns safely and unharmed."

"Thank you my lady. I swear on the River Styx that I will do anything to keep your lieutenant away from harm."

Thunder boomed in the distance, signaling that the promise was made.

She sat back down and inclined her head, looking above into the night sky, her thoughts elsewhere and far away from where we were right now.

"Alex." Chiron said. "I think you should go with Nico and Thalia to the Big House right now to discuss this prophecy of yours. I will be there shortly."

I nodded and raced down the dirt path to Big House. I stepped inside where Thalia and Nico sat waiting.

"Ok." Nico said. "Anyone got an idea of what this prophecy is about?"

"Well death boy, obviously the first line, a hero will step forth is Alex since this is his quest and destiny. The land of no joy is the Underworld. With three instead of a convoy means that there will be three people going on this quest, which is us."

"Ok then pine-cone face, who is the lost one?"

"Well I don't know. Alex, you said that you heard a voice speaking to you am I correct?"

I nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"Was it a male or female?"

"It was a female voice. How does that matter?"

"Ok, now we know that the lost one is a female."

"Um Thalia, you do know that there are like a million females on earth right?"

"Nico just shut up!"

"You two just chill. You know what really worries me are the last two lines. A loved one will be lost. Who's going to die?"

"Alex, I really don't know. But there's also one more thing. Who's the man of forgetfulness?"

We stared at each other blankly. Oh not good! Not good at all! Chiron poked his head in a few minutes later.

"It seems like you three didn't need my help at all. You basically figured out most of the prophecy by yourselves. Now go and pack, you're going to leave tomorrow. Meet here in the morning at ten o'clock sharp. We'll go through the briefings and the boys can shadow travel you all to the Underworld. Now go rest, tomorrow is going to be a long day."

* * *

**Quest time! Remember to R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alexander ~**

Nico and I returned to our respective sides of the cabin. I dumped in a bunch of my black robes and weapons into the duffel bag that I got as a gift from dad. The bag was magical, you could put all the things you have in it, and it would still fit. After about ten minutes of packing or more like stuffing clothes, I zipped the bag shut and jumped on my bed, falling into a deep slumber. But of course being a demigod, my mind was intruded upon with more disturbing dreams.

It was completely dark, and gloomy. The underworld, but as I looked around, I saw that there was a figure lying on a black alter. As I walked closer, I saw that the figure was a woman, but the odd thing was that there was golden blood splattered all over the place.

"Come." She said. "This is your destiny."

I jolted up immediately. I knew that voice. It was the same voice that told me go on this quest.

"Woah bro. Thanks a lot for waking me up this early. Breakfast is in twenty minutes."

"Nico!" I yelled, pulling him off the bed. "I had another dream. It's worse than we thought it would be. I think I saw the 'lost one', except she was bleeding all over. She's a goddess."

"Ok, that's not cool at all. We need to find Thalia, but don't expect the hunters to have great hospitality."

"Got it Nico, just give me a sec."

I quickly changed into a Metallica shirt; leather pants, and my black army combat boots. I looked around for my robe, which was nowhere in sight.

"Where's my robe Nico? I know you have it!"

"Awwww," my half-brother whined. "The Stoll brothers taught me some tricks of theirs and I thought I could put them into use."

Ugh, he acted like a five year old!

"Come on! There's no time for games. We need to find Thalia. Let's go to the Artemis cabin."

"Alex! Are you insane? That's like suicide! We are not walking near Cabin Eight especially if Lady Artemis is here; that is unless you want to be turned into a jackalope. We should try the archery range. The hunters are up early anyways."

* * *

Nico was right, the hunters were all lined up in a perfectly straight line, all of them standing at least fifty yards away from the target. Each one of them would fire their arrows with deadly accuracy, piercing the center of the bulls-eye, arrow after arrow. Once walked closer, they all turned; holding aiming their bows and arrows at us, all of them giving us death glares. Gosh, what were they taught to think about boys? They all looked to Artemis for her orders. The goddess merely gestured at me to speak.

"Lady Artemis, I apologize for interrupting you and your hunters. I'm merely here to talk to Thalia."

"Talk to Thalia?" the goddess inquired.

"Uh … Yesterday I had a dream again. I'm here to inform Thalia of the details."

"Ah I see. Go on then. Thalia, you are excused. Do well my lieutenant."

"Yes my lady."

Thalia turned towards me. Her electric blue eyes burrowing into my midnight black ones. I was lost for words. The spiky black hair, those eyes. No! I mentally screamed to myself. You are not falling for a hunter; especially not their lieutenant and the daughter of Zeus. We're supposed to be sworn enemies like our fathers.

* * *

**So what do you think? Alex likes Thalia! Well at first I considered having a Nico X Thalia but I thought it would be more interesting if it was like this instead. Remember to R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alexander ~**

I told Thalia about my dream. Her eyes were wide with shock, for a moment, I thought they would fall out of their sockets.

"Where's Chiron?" Thalia said.

"It's breakfast time, so he'll be at the Mess Hall." Nico replied.

We ran down the dirt path, pushing past a bunch of campers to get inside.

"Chiron!" Thalia yelled.

The centaur galloped over at the sound of his name.

"We need to leave now," Thalia said urgently. "The lost one is a goddess, we must save her. Her identity however, is unknown"

"Go now then! Iris message me once you have new information. Do all of you have everything you need? Nectar? Ambrosia?"

"We do," the three of us replied at the same time.

"Good. Be careful, and good luck!"

We nodded then went to our cabins to grab our stuff.

"Nico! Hurry up before we get one thousand volts from Thalia for taking too long!"

"Hold on."

"You know what Nico, I'll just go to Thalia's pine and wait for you there."

"Fine then, be a ditcher."

I stuck my tongue out at my half-brother and I decided to shadow travel instead of walking. It was one of the best parts of being a child of Hades. I closed my eyes and focused on shadows and the darkness. After a couple of seconds, I opened my eyes, and found myself standing under the shade of the tree. Thalia was standing on the other side of the pine, leaning against it with her arms folded over her chest. She turned her head to acknowledge my presence, and then turned her attention to her iPod. She was listening to a song by the Foo Fighters. Her music was turned on loud; I could hear it on the other side of the tree.

I continued to look at Thalia, the thoughts of her continued to plague through my mind. I noticed everything about her, the short spiky black hair, the punk rebellious attitude, and her eyes, the eyes that reflected the color of the sky.

"She's beautiful isn't she," a voice spoke in my head.

"Aphrodite!" I growled mentally at her.

"I am a goddess and member of the Olympian Council, so I think you should address me respectfully Alexander."

I groaned. "Lady Aphrodite, what are you doing inside my head?" I said venomously.

The goddess of love laughed. "You are in my domain, so I'm going to guide you through. It's about time Artemis and her hunters are proven wrong. Sheesh, following some no love policy that they've blinded themselves with; they seriously, they need to learn how to live life."

"Lady Aphrodite, I've sworn on the River Styx that I would protect Thalia Grace from any harm. That includes love. If she falls in love, her immortality would be taken away. I cannot break my vow, especially if I promised something to Lady Artemis, who takes oaths most seriously."

"Very well then Alexander, I will leave you now. Remember though, I will be watching."

I was glad that I could finally take control over my own mind again. When the love goddess is inside your head talking to you, it gets kind of annoying.

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Lady Aphrodite? I thought you said that you would leave my mind alone."

"Oh right. Sorry about that. I'm leaving your mind now, officially."

I turned around so that my back faced Thalia. I couldn't continue to look at her anymore for now, since I've just had a talk with Aphrodite. I looked back at the cabin area and sighed. I had just arrived here, and now a day after, I was leaving this place for Zeus knows how long. Finally after about ten minutes, I saw Nico sprinting over towards us. He was wearing a Megadeth shirt with black jeans, his Stygian iron sword hanging at the side of his belt.

"Nico, you could have saved us some time by shadow traveling." I said.

"Well, I'm not a master like you, so I'll pass out if I shadow travel too much. I have to save some of my strength to get to the Underworld."

"Guys, quit arguing and get moving already," Thalia said.

"Anger management problems," Nico muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, the lieutenant of the hunt heard him.

"What did you say dead boy?" Thalia yelled.

"Nothing," Nico replied.

"I thought so!"

I sighed. This was never going to end.

"I agree with Thalia, we should get going now. We've already wasted a lot of time."

"You're agreeing with her?" Nico asked, while pointing to Thalia.

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just that I thought you were a cool bro."

"Excuse me?"

"Gods Alex, I was just joking, you're awesome I mean you survived when you were hit by Zeus's master bolt! Anyways Thalia looks like she's going to fry both of us, so see you in the underworld."

He shadow travelled himself to the underworld; leaving me with Thalia, which was no doubt, awkward for me.

"Ok … Thalia hold onto my hand."

She looked at me weirdly for a second, and then reluctantly put her hand on mine. This time when I closed my eyes, I had to concentrate and focus more on the power that was within me. Soon enough, we were engulfed by the darkness and were in a sense, teleported to the banks of the River Styx; right next to Charon's ferry port.

"Alexander, son of the lord himself. It's been quite a while." Charon said. Who do we have here? Your girlfriend?"

"What? Um … no!" Thalia and I both blushed. "This is Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." I said, gesturing over to her.

"We need a ride across so we can get to father's palace," I told Charon.

"You know my policy Alex, no free rides under any circumstances." Charon replied, looking bored.

"You and money," I said. "Fine, here." I handed him 10 drachmas. "That's the fare for both of us."

"Alright then," Charon said, while smiling at the gleaming gold coins he held in his hands. "Get in the ferry, and I'll make it quick."

Thalia and I both got in, sitting next to a bunch of souls who were lucky enough that their families and friends still had faith in the gods.

"Where's Nico?" Thalia asked.

"He's on the other side of the river waiting for us. Usually, children of Hades would just shadow travel to the gates of dad's palace, but since I'm bringing you along, there would be some complications from doing that."

"Oh," Thalia said. "You know, I've actually never been here before."

"Really? I'll show you around when we have time."

She nodded, and turned to look around.

"We're here," Charon announced.

Once we both got out of the ferry and were about to leave, Charon tapped me on the shoulder. "Remember to talk about my pay raise boy." After saying those words, he left, channeling for the hundred millionth time across the river.

"You're here!" Nico said.

"Yes we are," I replied.

"This way to dad's palace." Nico pointed down the path that led to the iron gates of the palace. "Enter if you dare," Nico said.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. I've been having a very bad writer's block for this fic. I've also been very busy with tests and exams. Let's see ... how will Hades react when he sees Thalia? Hopefully I'll get some time to think and write. Remember to R&R. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Alexander ~**

Nico and I steered Thalia through the palace, giving her a special V.I.P. tour. Nobody has ever gotten a tour from both sons of Hades before. Thalia is a lucky girl. We were showing Thalia our rooms when a skeleton warrior appeared, telling us that father, Hades wanted to see all three of us. I noticed that Thalia's face instantly paled at the sound of father's name.

"Thalia, what's wrong?" I asked.

Thalia looked at me and remained silent for a few minutes, then shook her head slightly, regaining her composure. "I'm the daughter of Zeus, and Hades already dislikes most demigods, imagine what he's going to think of me, a child of one of his brothers!"

"It's okay Thalia," I said trying to reassure her. "Nothing will happen to you alright? Anyways, we should get going now, father doesn't like it when people are late."

I shadow travelled all three of us to the dining room, which was empty for the moment. Good, I thought to myself, we got here before father did. After a couple of minutes, father walked in. His dark eyes examined me, then moved on to Nico, and finally they fell on Thalia. I was first to speak, kneeling down on one leg and addressed my father. Nico and Thalia followed suit. "Lord Hades."

"Rise my sons."

Nico and I did as we were told. Father was still looking at Thalia intently.

"Rise Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus," father said, or more like spat out. "I should kill you now for entering my domain." A sword appeared in father's hand.

"No!" I yelled.

Hades turned his head slightly to look at me; his eyes were flaring black with rage.

"Alexander!"

"You will not inflict any harm on her," I said slowly. "I have sworn to protect the lieutenant of the hunt with all my power."

"And this is a solemn vow?" father asked, while lowering his sword.

"Sworn on the River Styx itself," I replied.

"Very well then, but only because this is on request of my son." The sword disappeared from father's hand. "Anyways, good luck on your quest. I must leave now, I have some judging to do."

Father disappeared in a cloud of black mist. I could have sworn I heard him mutter "all thanks to your father Zeus."

"Well that was rather …" Thalia began.

"Terrifying?" Nico suggested.

"Something along the lines of that," Thalia said. "I'm just surprised that Lord Hades didn't disintegrate you right there Alex."

"Of course dad wouldn't," Nico said. "Alex has dad's blessing. He's dad's favorite child."

I could sense a pang of jealousy in Nico's voice, but I let the matter drop.

"The lost goddess awaits," I reminded both of them. "In my dream, she was bleeding ichor all over. We need to go find her."

"Where do we start then? Should we start looking at the Fields of Punishment, the Isles of the Blessed, Elysium, or somewhere else? " Nico asked.

"How am I supposed to know dead boy?" Thalia yelled. "It's not like I've been here a million times!"

I looked at both of them. When are they going to stop arguing?

"I don't think the goddess will be in any of those places. The first place to start is … well deeper in the Underworld. Tartarus, or somewhere close by it."

"Well then Tartarus we go then," Nico said like it was a trip to Disneyland for a five year old or something.

Thalia and I stared at him in shock.

"Nico, you do know that Tartarus is the place where the gods' enemies are banished right?" I asked.

"Your point? Can we just go now?" Nico said.

I shook my head and face palmed.

"Alright let's go."

"Wait," Thalia said. "How are we going to get to Tartarus? Nico can't shadow travel anymore, or else he'll just faint. Are we just going to walk?"

I laughed. "Why we're going to take the subway of course."

"What do you mean?" Last time I checked, the subway is all the way up there." Nico said, while he pointed up.

"I'm surprised you don't know Nico," I said. "All thanks to Deadalus, there's a subway down here in the underworld that will take you anywhere you want to go."

I clapped my hands twice, and the ground opened up revealing our transportation.

Nico ran in yelling at the top of his lungs about how awesome it was.

Thalia shook her head. "Just like when he was ten years old. He was crazy about Mythomagic."

"Mythomagic?" I asked, while raising an eyebrow.

"Don't ask," Thalia said. "Now get in, or do I need to zap you?"

"Yes ma'am!" I said, giving her a salute before stepping in to the train.

Thalia just rolled her eyes and followed me in.

"To the gates of Tartarus" I said.

There was a small ding, and after a few seconds, the train doors closed.

"Even though this is an express train, it will take about forty five minutes to one hour before we get to Tartarus." I said.

"Well then I'm going to sleep," Nico said. "Wake me up once we get there."

Before I could even reply, Nico was already crashed out on one of the chairs. I sat down at the middle section of the train and decided to just stare into space. I took out my iPod from my duffel bag and pressed play. I was listening to one of my favorite bands, when the song changed to You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. What the Hades? I thought. I don't have that song in my iPod. I tried to skip the song but it didn't' work. Finally the song finished and I thought everything would be back to normal when Teenage Dream by Katy Perry came up. Damn you Aphrodite! Suddenly Thalia stood up from a few seats back and walked up to me.

"My iPod ran out of battery," Thalia said. "Can I sit here with you?"

"Um yeah sure," I replied, not knowing what to do. "You could borrow my iPod if you want."

"It's ok, I mean since we're on this quest then maybe we should get to know each other then."

"Sure," I said. "Why don't you start first?"

"Ok … What's your favorite color?"

"Black. Yours?"

"Black and blue," she replied.

"Blue obviously because of your father." I laughed. "So are we kind of playing the twenty questions game?"

Thalia nodded.

"What are some of your favorite bands?"

"Foo Fighters, Green Day, Metallica, and AC/DC"

"Same," I said with a smile.

We had so much in common, I wasn't even kidding about it. The twenty-question game turned out to be a one hundred question game. We didn't even stop playing until we arrived at Tartarus. Thalia wasn't a complete mystery to me now, I felt like I knew her for my whole life, instead of just for a few days.

"Nico! Wake up!" I yelled at my brother.

Nico didn't budge. He must have been so tired from shadow travelling the whole time.

"Let me handle this," Thalia said with a smirk on her face. She marched straight up to where Nico sat and put her hand on his arm. I have no idea how many volts she sent through him, but it was enough to make Nico's hair smoke up.

"Thanks a lot pinecone face!" Nico yelled.

"Come on guys," I said. "There's no time to lose."

The doors opened and I stepped out onto the cold and dark ground. There was an unnatural breeze that sent shivers down my spine. We looked at a sign that said WELCOME TO TARTARUS. Oh joy, I thought, Here we go.

* * *

**There you go, hopefully you all enjoyed Chapter 6. Hopefully the next update will come soon depending on whether I have time or not. Remember to R&R!**

**Child of the Moon's Shadow: Glad to make you happy :) Nico says you're welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on guys," I said. "There's no time to lose."

The doors opened and I stepped out onto the cold and dark ground. There was an unnatural breeze that sent shivers down my spine. We looked at a sign that said WELCOME TO TARTARUS. Oh joy, I thought. Here we go.

* * *

**Alexander ~**

We walked through the gates of Tartarus. All I had to say about the place was that it was a dark, gloomy, and bottomless pit. I could see all those who have been banished by the gods chained to the walls. Tartarus was nothing compared to the Fields of Punishment. It made the Fields of Punishment looked like a playground. Suddenly I heard something, someone speaking to me.

"Come," a voice croaked. "I know where the lost goddess you are seeking is."

I followed the voice, with Thalia and Nico at my heels.

"You have came, good," the god said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"That's Koios," Thalia answered. "The Titan of intelligence, father of Leto and Asteria."

"That is correct, daughter of Zeus."

"Is this some kind of trick or something where I unleash you from Tartarus?"

Koios laughed. "No. You cannot actually do that. Only those who have banished me have the power to release me. I'm different from my brothers. They are stronger in physical strength, while I am stronger mentally."

"Ok …" I said. "So you said that you know where the lost goddess is."

"Indeed."

"Can you tell us where she is?"

"You should seek the answer yourself," Koios replied.

"Then this makes you no different from the other Titans. Only caring for your own interests, concerned about no one else. Thalia said.

"You're accusing me?" Koios questioned.

"You fought against the gods even though you knew that Kronos cared about no one but himself. You knew and you fought on his side."

Koios remained silent for a while, then cleared his throat and spoke again. "The goddess is not here in Tartarus, although she is very close. I doubt even the son of Hades knows that there are many passages in the Underworld that only the lord of the underworld knows of. I can do nothing more but point you to the right direction. You must go to the end of the River Styx and search. If you follow my words, then the path will be obvious. However, I must warn you all though, there are great dangers and obstacles for you. I'm afraid that my brothers have been stirring lately. You must be quick though; this quest is something that even the Olympians themselves depend on.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked.

"There are ancient laws that I must follow. I have already given you more information that I was allowed to. I hope that has proven that I am quite different from my brothers. Now, you must be on with your quest. Farewell."

We nodded solemnly and walked back to the gates of Tartarus that only we could go in and out of. I couldn't stop thinking about how bad Tartarus was, and we've only been there for about half an hour. I wonder what the Titans and those banished by the gods felt like, I mean they've spent eons there. Nico who was yanking on my arm continuously, interrupted my thoughts.

"What Nico?" I yelled.

"Shadow travel us to the end of the River Styx, I'm still exhausted from our last shadow travel spree."

"Fine" I grumbled. "Grab onto me, both of you."

They did as they were told, and we soon stood at the banks of the Styx.

"Alright!" Nico said. "Let's go look for this secret passage that even we don't know of!"

I looked around. Koios had said that the path would be obvious.

"There!" Thalia said, pointing to a small, narrow path.

"Be careful," I said. "Koios said that we would face many dangers."

"Got it," Thalia said confidently, leading us down the path. Suddenly, she stopped and I almost crashed into her. Thank Zeus that I didn't, otherwise I wouldn't have any hair or eyebrows left if Thalia gave me some of her electroshock therapy.

"Why'd you stop?" Nico asked.

"The path leads to two ways," Thalia said. "One to the left and one to the right. Which side should we go to?"

"Easy!" Nico said. "Ennie meanie …"

Ugh! Does he have to act any more childish than that?

"You know, we should just randomly choose one side and hope for the best," I said.

"Fine," Thalia said and proceeded to walk down to the left side.

We trudged down the path that seemed to be never ending looking around for that black alter that the goddess was supposedly on according to my dream. I guess I was too concentrated on finding the goddess because I suddenly heard Nico shout out for help behind me. I spun around to see Nico fighting off a hellhound. I turned my head to look around to see if we could escape. No such luck, all I could see were two more hellhounds, and a drakon that surrounded us. Oh gods. The drakon opened its mouth and sent a fireball my way, missing me by centimeters, as I dived out of the way. I took my bow that was strapped onto my back and sent ten arrows flying at the drakon. The drakon didn't even flinch, as the arrows fell off his invincible armor of skin. Thalia had already given up long ago with shooting arrows at the drakon, she held her spear in one hand, Aegis in the other, and charged the drakon. The drakon however, had already anticipated her move, and swiped its tail at Thalia, knocking Aegis out of her hands. I watched with awe as Thalia yelled in rage, and stabbed the drakon in the eye with her spear. The drakon roared with pain and thrashed with pain. Wow, I thought. Thalia can actually take that drakon down by herself. To make her job easier however, I twisted the ring I wore on my right hand and waited a few seconds before it turned into my Stygian iron sword. Good, let's finish this thing once and for all.

The drakon I believe thought otherwise, because it roared again, angrier than ever. I looked at Thalia with his only eye, and began to suck in giant breaths. My brain had just enough time to process what the drakon was going to do.

"No!" I yelled. "Thalia run!"

Obviously, being a stubborn daughter of Zeus, Thalia stood her ground. There's no time for this I thought as I jumped in front of Thalia as the drakon released another fireball, this time hitting me square in the chest, sending me flying across the path. I just had enough time to send a prayer to my dad before I blacked out.

* * *

**I apologize for the long wait. Thank you all for your patience! I promise that I'll try to update asap, but you know how it is with homework, tests, and exams. **

**Special thanks to Child of the Moon's Shadow, I have to say that you're one of the reasons why I continued to write this. Btw, Nico says that he hopes that he made you laugh this chapter. Adios!**

**~the ghost king**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alexander ~**

I fought a battle with my eyelids, trying to get them to open. It took a lot of strength to do something that would usually take little, almost no effort at all to do. It was like I was playing tug-o-war with ten people on the other end of the rope. It took quite a long time before I finally got them to open. I was exhausted from just opening my eyelids, and obviously didn't have enough strength to get up and look around. My senses however, told me that I was still in the underworld.

"Hello?" I said. "Anyone here?"

"I'm coming," I someone said.

I could make out a figure walking towards me. She crouched down so that her face was inches away from mine. It took me a few minutes to realize who it was.

"Thalia," I croaked.

This angel … my angel was crying. Those electric blue eyes were all cloudy and misty with her tears. Her face was a complete mess, black eyeliner smudged all over the place. No, I thought. This image is all wrong. Even though my body was mentally screaming at me with pain, I ignored it and slowly reached up; wiping away her tears with my hand.

"Thalia …" I said softly. "Please, don't cry."

"I … I thought you were going to die!" She said. "Thank the gods!"

"What happened?" I asked.

"After you blacked out, there was a chariot pulled by six black stallions and a bunch of skeleton warriors suddenly appeared. One of the skeleton warriors signaled for us to get on the chariot, while the others were fighting the drakon and the other hellhounds. Nico and I carried you to the chariot and we were brought here."

I sighed with relief. "Thank you father."

"Those were sent by your father?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "I prayed to him for help before I blacked out."

"Oh," Thalia said. "I thought the gods weren't allowed to interfere in any way during quests, but oh well."

"How long have I been out for anyways?" I asked.

"About 5 hours," Thalia replied.

"Help me up," I said.

"Sorry, can't" Thalia said, while she smirked at me.

"You're evil Thalia," I said.

She laughed. "You shouldn't be getting up at this stage. You should rest, I'll go get you more nectar and ambrosia."

I guess all that talking sapped the limited strength I had, because before Thalia could even come back and give me more nectar, I had already fallen into deep slumber. As I lay there on the ground in the underworld, my mind travelled to somewhere else. It was a beautiful garden that probably had Lady Demeter's blessing. There was a fountain that sat in the middle of this place, and a beautiful woman wearing a light pink dress stood next to it. It took me a minute to realize that the woman standing there was Aphrodite, the goddess of love herself.

Ugh! I thought I told her to stay out of my head! She's so irritating!

"I can hear your thoughts Alexander," Aphrodite said.

"Sorry Lady Aphrodite," I said. "I thought you said that you'd stay out of my thoughts!"

"Well I didn't swear on the River Styx did I?" Aphrodite replied.

"Fine," I huffed. "So what brings you into my mind again oh great goddess of love?" I said sarcastically.

"Well I couldn't help but see that scene just now," Aphrodite said. "It's so romantic!" She squealed with excitement.

"Uh …" I said.

"Don't you just love it?" Aphrodite said. "Forbidden love! The daughter of Zeus and a son of Hades can you believe it?"

"Who says we're going to be together?" I asked.

"You know you love her," Aphrodite said. "Just admit it."

"Fine, fine. I do love Thalia, but you can't say the same about her. She's a hunter!"

"Oh please," Aphrodite said. "Many hunters have already broken their vows to Artemis. It's about time another one did."

"No!" I said defiantly. "I'm not going to make her give up immortality because of me."

"Sheesh Alex, way to ruin the fun of everything!" Aphrodite said as she pouted.

"Whatever," I said.

"I'm late for my date with Ares! Oh and Alex, you should wake up now, before Thalia shocks you." Aphrodite said.

"Huh?" I said. "Thalia? Oh crap!"

Aphrodite sighed. "Too late," she said, then disappeared in a flash of pink light.

Thanks to Thalia's electroshock therapy, I was able to jump up almost instantly.

"Thalia!" I yelled. "And why do I smell smoke?"

Thalia put on an innocent look on her face, and then laughed.

I groaned. "Thalia! That was my favorite shirt!"

"Um … Alex? Can you put on a shirt? Please?" Thalia said, while covering her eyes to block the view of my upper body.

I swear I saw Thalia blushing, but shook the thought out of my head. You're not going to make her fall in love with you! I told myself.

"Fine," I said.

I quickly stripped off the tattered remains of my shirt, and pulled on another one.

"Ok Thalia," I said. "You can look now."

Thalia slowly lowered her hand, like she was afraid that I was lying to her. Why would I do that? I thought to myself. A moment later, Nico waltzed in humming the guitar solo of "One" by Metallica.

"So what'd I miss?" Nico asked Thalia and I.

"Nothing much," I said. "Just the fact that I finally woke up after 5 hours Nico!"

"Oh," Nico said. "So … what are we going to do next?"

"Well," Thalia said. "We should start looking for the lost goddess again."

"That's right," I said. "And we should definitely avoid drakons and hellhounds this time."

"Got it," Nico said. "Now where to?"

"This time we should head back to the other side," I replied. "There are only two paths, and we've already taken one, so the other path is going to be where the goddess is."

"Ok, then let's get going!" Nico said.

* * *

**I apologies for the long wait, but school work has taken up most of my time. I also had a minor case of writer's block, so spare me. Anyways, Alex's quest continues and time moves on. Do you think that the drakons and hellhounds are the only challenges or obstacles Alex, Thalia, and Nico will have to face or am i going to put in more surprises along the way? Well, I guess you all just have to be patient to find out. **

_Child of the Moon's Shadow: There's Aphrodite (again), stirring up trouble as usual. Well, I hope you enjoyed that little chapter, and GET BACK TO STUDYING! Hmm ... maybe Hades will lend you his chariot when you're done studying for exams. I don't know, you'll have to ask Alex to help you convince Hades though. Anyways, cya for now!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Alexander ~**

We walked down the other direction of the path; this time the correct way with Thalia, again in the lead. It was beginning to get colder, as if evil was trying to mess with our minds psychologically, damaging the inner part of us before the real fighting began. I thought back to the battle that took place just a day ago. In order to save Thalia and keep my oath, I had risked my very life, almost dying in the process. Those hellhounds and drakons … it was like they were under a trance that commanded them to stop at nothing until they ripped us apart completely. But who would do such a thing? I thought about who had power over monsters, and out of all the Olympians, the only name I could come up with was Hades. Father? I mentally kicked myself for thinking such things about him. Sure he has the power to unleash those beasts and monsters, but it couldn't have been him, I mean it was he who saved us was it not?

I was so focused on my thoughts that I didn't hear my name being called until Thalia shocked me.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

"Well Alex, I'm glad I finally got your attention. I've been calling your name at least a million times!" Thalia said.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"You better be," Thalia said.

"Hey!" Nico said. "How come you always call me something like dead boy or death breath when you call Alex by his name?" Nico whined.

"Just shut up!" Thalia yelled at Nico.

"Now back to the man point," Thalia said. "We've reached the end of the path, but there's a cave-like tunnel over there," Thalia said while she pointed over to the left.

"Yeah," I said. "I think that's the right way, since basically the only place along the five sacred rivers that we haven't been to."

"Good," Thalia said. "Let's go then."

We cautiously trudged over to the tunnel and looked around to see if we would be surrounded again. I squinted my eyes to look inside the dark tunnel. I was glad to be a son of Hades, we could all see in the dark. With our rotten luck, I knew that somehow there would be something hiding inside, ready to pounce on us. Unfortunately, I was right about something getting ready to attack us. There was a figure that suddenly appeared, holding a sword in hand, blocking our path. That was when I cam to the realization that the figure was none other than Nico's sister, Bianca di Angelo. I remembered that it was I, back then during the World Wars when I disguised myself as a lawyer to bring them out of the Lotus Casino. No, I thought. Bianca di Angelo was supposed to be dead! I kept staring at her, but she looked exactly the same. But I had a very bad feeling in my gut that something was very, very wrong with Bianca.

We didn't even have time to say a word before she charged at us with a gold aura around her. Nico stared in shock and just managed to raise his sword to block his sister's attack. Bianca however, had no love or care in her eyes, instead her eyes were purely white, showing no mercy but only pure hunger for bloodshed. Bianca never hesitated, ignoring Nico's pleas for her to stop fighting. She kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying through the air. Even though Nico lay on the ground in pain, Bianca walked slowly, advancing on her fallen brother. Thalia and I watched in horror as she stood over Nico, sword raised high in the air; ready to strike down.

* * *

**I'm sorry for not updating for so long. You know about the usual homework, tests, and exams that take up almost all of my time. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please don't kill me for leaving a cliffhanger. I promise to try and update asap! Tell me what you think will happen to Nico, Alex, and Thalia. Farewell, for now ...**


	10. Chapter 10

_Even though Nico lay on the ground in pain, Bianca walked slowly, advancing on her fallen brother. Thalia and I watched in horror as she stood over Nico, sword raised high in the air; ready to strike down._

_

* * *

_

**Alexander ~**

Just as we thought Nico would stay in his father's realm for eternity, Bianca suddenly dropped the sword on the ground and raised her hands up to her head.

"Get out of my head!" she screamed.

Bianca's cries of agony were deafening as we watched her scrunch up into a ball from the pain. Slowly she stood up; her eyes seemed to become dimmer, turning to gray, and then back to the natural black.

"Nico." she breathed. She seemed to hesitate a little before speaking again. "This isn't me, and you know it. I would never hurt you. You have to fight back now. Before it's too late. The Primordial Gods are returning, putting all their power into me. I know it's hard for you but … I can't hold it back any longer. My … heart, it's my only weakness. Stab it, and this will end."

Just as she wanted to say more, Bianca's eyes flashed white again. The fates can be so cruel. She had a very unnatural evil smile returned to her face. Bianca simply closed and opened her palm again, and a sword appeared in her hand.

Nico stood as still as a statue, while Bianca continued to advance upon him, her sword drawn.

"Nico!" I yelled desperately. "That's not your sister anymore! You heard her! There's almost no more time left. You have to do it, even if you don't want to."

Nico nodded slightly, slowly standing up; gripping his sword tightly. The battle between brother and sister continued. This time Nico was fighting back but was not as strong as Bianca, since she had the power of the Titans coursing through her veins. Bianca jumped, making a three hundred sixty degree turn, her sword slashed Nico, leaving him with a large gash on his chest.

"No!" Thalia and I both yelled.

I raised my sword and ran at Bianca despite the wounds I had all over my body. Our swords clashed together, held in a deadlock.

"Nico! Now!"

My half-brother seemed to understand what I meant. He drew his arm back, and released all the remaining strength he had left. His sword travelled quickly through the air, forming an arc and imbedded into its intended target; the heart of Bianca Di Angelo. Bianca fell backwards and slumped onto the ground. She gasped, laboring with each breath she took. Her eyes were no longer white now, but pure black. Bianca looked around and finally grabbed Nico's hand.

"Bianca!" Nico choked, salty tears streaming down his face pale white face. "I … I'm sorry."

"Nico, it's not your fault." She whispered. "You had to do that. The Titans, they were controlling me, if it hadn't been you I would've killed everyone. You've been a great brother. I know I hurt you a lot by joining the hunters, but it was the only way for me to find peace at that time. Please do this one thing for me. Forgive and forget. Don't blame Lady Artemis for my death. It was my choice really. You need to move on. You don't need me anymore. You have your friends, and you have Alex. Just remember that I've always and will forever love you, dead or alive."

Slowly, Bianca turned to me. "Alex, I wish I could've known you better, but I guess the fates won't allow that to happen in the world of the living. Oh and by the way, nice disguise as the lawyer." Bianca winked at me. "Take care of my brother for me all right? Just visit me when you're free."

After those words were spoken, just like that, Bianca di Angelo disappeared, leaving the final image of her smiling face, finally at peace.

With a cry of despair, Nico ran towards the River Lethe. Thalia and I looked at each other, and then sprinted after him, in an attempt to stop him.

"Nico! Don't!" I yelled.

"You both heard what Bianca said. I want to respect her dying wish. I'm going to forgive and forget, literally."

We continued to run after him, a second too late. Nico jumped into the river in grief to wash away the painful memories of the second time his sister had died; this time, in his own hands.

_**A hero will step forth, **_

_**In a land of no joy,**_

_**To save the lost one, **_

_**With three instead of a convoy.**_

_**One will emerge as the man of forgetfulness,**_

_**Hell and sky will reunite,**_

_**Sons of death, and daughter of lightning,**_

_**Brave the Underworld's bite.**_

_**All against three,**_

_**And at one's great cost,**_

_**A loved one,**_

_**Will be lost.**_

The man of forgetfulness was Nico, and the loved one that will be lost, was Bianca di Angelo.

* * *

**Lucky you, here's another update. See, I told you that I'll update asap, so here you go. I keep my promises :) I don't know when the next chapter is going to come, but I know definitely that it's not going to be this weekend, so I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed! **


	11. Chapter 11

_**A hero will step forth, **_

_**In a land of no joy,**_

_**To save the lost one, **_

_**With three instead of a convoy.**_

_**One will emerge as the man of forgetfulness,**_

_**Hell and sky will reunite,**_

_**Sons of death, and daughter of lightning,**_

_**Brave the Underworld's bite.**_

_**All against three,**_

_**And at one's great cost,**_

_**A loved one,**_

_**Will be lost.**_

_The man of forgetfulness was Nico, and the loved one that will be lost, was Bianca di Angelo. _

* * *

**Alexander ~**

I looked over at Thalia, who stood next to me. Her face was grim with a mask of remorse and grief. It was definitely a rare sight to see a hunter of Artemis, especially the lieutenant of the hunt feel … penitence for a male.

Thalia and I both knew that there was nothing we could do about Nico's memory now. Once Nico stepped out of the River Leethe, his memories would be gone;, wiped away completely. I sighed. What are we going to do now? Thalia seemed to be able to read my mind because she replied with a simple "we must carry on with the quest. The prophecies are always right." We both turned to look back at Nico, who was swimming back towards us. Thalia stepped forward and stuck her hand out to help pull Nico out, carefully avoiding the water. We both knew that any contact with the water would take away memories, and she definitely had not intention of losing them.

"Who are you?" Nico asked. "And who am I?"

Thalia and I looked at each other, and then sighed.

"My name is Thalia, the daughter of Zeus," she said. Thalia then proceeded to point to me, signaling for me to speak.

"My name is Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex." I said. "I'm your half-brother, and our father is Hades, the Greek god of the underworld."

"Ok …" Nico said. "Who's Zeus?"

"Zeus is the lord of the sky, and the king of the gods," I said. "Come on Nico, we need to go now."

"Oh ok then," Nico said. "You two seem like nice people, so I guess I'll follow you then."

"Good," I said. "Now Thalia, where should we go now?"

"We should go back to where we fought Bianca, and check out the other side of the tunnel."

"Who's Bianca?" Nico asked.

Thalia and I looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Uh … she's a friend," Thalia replied solemnly.

"Oh," Nico said. "So, should we be going to that tunnel place you were talking about?"

"Right," Thalia said. "Let's go then."

Thalia led us through the tunnel again, and fortunately for us this time, there were no more attacks. I heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that we had safely crossed.

"Now remind me Alex," Thalia said. "About your dreams that you've been having about the goddess."

"She was lying on a black alter, and ichor was spilling all over. It was almost like she was dying, but obviously she can't."

"Woah!" Nico yelled. "You have creepy dreams."

I face palmed, while Nico rambled on about how dreams like that could affect you mentally. I really wanted to tell Nico to shut up, but I just felt sorry for the kid, I mean on the same day, he loses his sister, and then his memories.

"Hey Alex! Are you even listening?" Nico said, while waving his hand around my face.

"Um … yeah?" I said, while I shot Thalia a desperate look. She just laughed and stuck her tongue out at me. Oh that girl is evil, I thought to myself.

"Oh look! It's a big black thing!" Nico yelled.

"Yeah, whatever," I said. That was when I suddenly realized what Nico had said.

"Where is it?" I asked my half-brother.

"Oh, so now you're interested!" Nico said. "Well, I'm not going to tell you! That's for not listening to me just now."

"Nico," I said. "You need to tell us now! It's a matter of great importance!"

"Hmmm …" Nico said. "I'll tell you once I get a kiss from the pretty lady over there," he said, while pointing at Thalia.

Oh he didn't just say that to a regular hunter of Artemis, but to Thalia herself. I cursed, and then grabbed Nico, holding him by the neck.

"You tell us right now where it is!" I yelled.

"Ok, ok. Chill. It's just over there," Nico said, pointing to the far end. "Now can you put me down? Can't … breathe …"

I growled, and finally put him down. Once Nico hit the floor, he quickly scrambled back up, and glared at me, then smirked.

"Protective much?" Nico said. "Someone's got a crush!"

Crap! It must be Lady Aphrodite controlling him, and making him say that in front of … Thalia. I blushed deep red, and looked over at Thalia, who had an amused smirk on her face.

"Uh … shall we carry on?" I asked, completely embarrassed.

"Yes," Thalia said as she laughed.

* * *

**I know Nico seemed quite OOC, but since he's lost his memory, why not have fun by messing with him right? Well, there you go, another update. I hope you all enjoyed that. Again, I'll try to update asap, but I do have to study for my semester exams, even though it's Christmas break. Oh, and a little heads up: the lost goddess will be found in the next chapter. Anyone want to take a shot at guessing who she is? (Hint: She is not an Olympian) Farewell, for now ...**

**~ the ghost king**


	12. Chapter 12

**Alexander ~**

We sprinted to where the alter was in fear of being too late to save the goddess. It was exactly like what I had seen in my visions and dreams. The goddess lay there, her eyes half closed like she was living her final moments. Thalia and I rushed over, taking out nectar and offering it to the goddess. The goddess took a couple of sips, but nothing happened. Ichor still flowed freely from her wounds. After a couple of minutes, the goddess finally spoke.

"Alexander, son of Hades. I see that you've taken on this quest. You've done very well. You are the only one who is worthy to replace me."

"Please excuse me, my lady. May I ask who you are?"

The goddess gave a small, pained chuckle before replying. "I am the goddess Styx."

"My apologies Lady Styx, but I don't understand. What do you mean by replace you?"

"I'm fading, just like Pan. There are too many broken promises, too much doubt in others. Even the gods themselves have broken their oaths, and because of this, I can no longer remain. I weaken everyday. Like I've said to you before, this is your destiny, to become the lord of truth, the lord of the Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and the Styx; the five sacred rivers. I'm sure you'll do well; I've been watching you for a long time. You must restore truth and justice on Olympus, and everywhere else."

"How am I going to do that? I'm nothing. I'm just a half-blood. I've been hunted since the day of my birth. Hunted by the king of the gods himself."

"Do not doubt yourself Alexander. You are the chosen one."

"Wait! What about Nico? He jumped into the Lethe. He forgot everything."

The goddess had a sad smile upon her face. "There's nothing I can do now. It's all down to you now, Alex. I know it's going to be hard, for the Olympians have been feuding for the past millenniums, but please, do the best you can."

"I will, but what's going to happen to me then?"

"You'll find out in time Alex. Now go, the Olympians are waiting."

I watched the goddess shimmer and disappear for the last time. I knelt down by the alter and ran my finger down the smooth edge, and picked up the golden dust that the goddess had left. It would be a reminder of another promise.

"Come on, the gods don't like to be kept waiting," Thalia said.

* * *

**There you are, another chapter. I had a very bad writer's block, so I'm sorry for making it so short. Alex finally finds the lost goddess, and once she's found she is lost again. Hope you all enjoyed that, even though this was one of my worst chapters. Remember to R&R! Farewell for now ...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alexander ~**

I grabbed Nico and Thalia's hand, and then shadow travelled all of us to the Empire State Building. Throughout the three minutes of shadow travelling, Nico was screaming and yelling the whole time, to the amusement of Thalia and I. The sun was practically burning my eyes since we've spent Zeus knows how many days in the Underworld.

Thalia and I sprinted into the building, dragging Nico along with us.

"Why is this building so pointy?" Nico asked.

Thalia rolled her eyes and replied, "ask the gods."

"Ok!" Nico said excitably.

"She's joking, Nico. Don't ask the gods, or else they'll blast you to bits," I said.

"Thanks for ruining the fun, Alex!" Thalia said.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Too bad!"

"Whatever," Thalia said. "Let's just go get the keycard."

The guard at the front desk was flipping through a nature magazine, too indulged in it to even notice that there were three demigods standing in front of him. Satyrs, I thought, always into nature.

"We need to go to the 600th floor," Thalia said.

The guard finally noticed us and sat up straight, putting the magazine down. "Excuse me? There's no 600th floor. Are you kids out of your minds?"

You could practically see Thalia trembling with fury. She's probably got that answer a couple of times now. Her eyes were changing to different colors of blue by each second. Electricity was flowing through her whole body, you could practically see lightning springing out of her fingers. I sighed, couldn't the guard just give us the keycard for Zeus's sake?

"Thalia," I said as I cautiously put my hand on her shoulder. "Let me take care of this. We don't want to deal with a electrocuted satyr do we?"

Thalia nodded then turned around and started to take deep breaths, counting from 1 to 10, attempting to calm down. I watched Thalia for a few seconds before turning my attention to the satyr guard who sat stubbornly on his chair, with his arms crossed around his chest.

"Listen you," I snarled. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either you give me the keycard and no harm is done, or I can call on my father, Hades, or Thanatos even, to give you a little visit."

Once he heard dad's name, the guard threw the keycard at me as fast as he could. With the help of my ADHD, I caught the card, then turned around and smiled at the satyr.

"Thanks," I said, then walked towards the elevator whistling the tune from Kill Bill.

"I think you overdid it," Thalia said as we both looked back at the guard, who was hiding under his magazine.

"Well at least it got the job done," I replied as I pressed the up button.

There was a present 'ding' as the elevator doors slid open. I inserted the keycard and a few seconds later, a button appeared with the number 600 on it.

"Wow," I said out loud.

Thalia was amused. "Amazed by just the button? Then you'll probably faint from just taking a glance at Olympus."

"No I won't," I retorted.

There was silence for a few minutes as the elevator went up. I took the time to ponder about what would happen once we got to Olympus. That's when it struck me. I was going to have to stand in front of the god who tried to kill me when I was born. Thalia must have noticed that something was wrong because she was instantly by my side.

"What's wrong, Alex?" she asked.

I didn't reply with a straightforward answer, instead I said, "can I use you as a shield if your father decides to blast me again?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, and then laughed. "Sure, I guess."

The ding' of the elevator cut me off from telling Thalia how I was serious about Zeus blasting me to bits. I stepped out of the elevator cautiously, with Thalia and Nico following me. Thalia was right; Olympus was the most beautiful sight I've seen. I was still staring in awe at the magnificent shrines and statues in front of me that I hardly heard Thalia clearing her throat behind me.

"We should get going, dad doesn't like to be kept waiting," Thalia said.

"Right," I replied as I allowed Thalia to steer us towards the throne room.

"You ready?" Thalia asked.

I nodded, pushing all the fear that I had to my gut. I sighed, here goes nothing. Thalia nudged me forward to the center of the throne room.

"Lord Zeus," I said as I bowed.

I could feel the tension from all the Olympians gathered in the throne room. There was an eerie silence and the crackling of the hearth could be heard. Finally Zeus spoke.

"Alexander Stone," Zeus boomed. "Hade's spawn. I should finish you once and for all."

"Father!" Thalia said. "Please, don't destroy Alex. He's a friend."

"You have other friends, Thalia. Now, it's time I destroyed his pathetic little life."

Zeus raised his master bolt, preparing to strike me down. I closed my eyes and got ready to be enveloped into the darkness of the underworld. I stood there for a few seconds, trying to acknowledge death's greeting, but found none. Strange, I opened my eyes, finding myself still standing in the throne room of Olympus.

I found myself protected by a black force field that was cast over me by none other than Hades, my father. Father looked at me, and then gave me slight nod before turning back to face the whole Olympian council that he had been excluded from.

"Zeus!" he yelled as his whole body trembled with fury. "Don't you dare try and destroy my son!"

"And what about what you tried to do to Thalia?" Zeus thundered back.

"She was an abomination!" Hades roared back. "You, Poseidon, and I all swore on the River Styx that we would not have anymore children after World War II. I hope you do recall the fact that it was only I who kept my oath. Now that brings us to the matter that must be discussed. Alexander has been chosen by Styx herself, to become the lord of the five sacred rivers, and to become the new god of truth. I believe that you've all heard?"

"Yes," Zeus replied. "We have."

"Good," father replied. "Then we all know what you must do."

"Woah there!" Apollo said. "What do you mean the new god of truth? Excuse me? But I'm the god of truth here."

Artemis laughed. "Give it a rest, Apollo. Some god of truth you are. You keep telling me that you forgot that you couldn't flirt with my hunters. That is clearly a lie, so don't you go call yourself the god of truth."

"Aw! Way to stand up for your brother, little sis," Apollo whined.

"Don't call me little sis!" Artemis snapped. "And there you are, another lie. We all know that I'm the older twin. I helped mother deliver you, for father's sake!"

"Silence!" Zeus yelled.

Apollo and Artemis instantly stopped arguing and sat down on their respected thrones. Even though they were silent, you could still see the tension between the both of them.

"Well?" father said.

Zeus grumbled and then stood up with his palm facing up. There was a ball of energy forming as he chanted words in ancient Greek, and then pointed at me. I felt a surge of power flow through me, and after a couple of minutes, I stood up, feeling completely different. Everything was so much clearer now. I could feel and sense the heartbeat and the breathing of Thalia and Nico, which was kind of cool and weird at the same time.

"Alexander Stone," Zeus said. "Lord of truth, and the five sacred rivers: Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and the Styx. As a god of such important aspects, do you accept my offer of joining the Olympian council?"

I was shocked. A few minutes ago, Zeus wanted to blast me to bits and now he was offering me a seat on the Olympian council? When did he turn into mister nice guy? I was about to accept before I realized that there was something I had to do before that.

"Lord Zeus," I said. "I will gladly accept your offer, but only after my father, Hades, receives his rightful place in the Olympian council."

There were lots of mummers and whispers between the gods before Zeus cleared his throat.

"We shall take a vote. Those who are in favor of Hades having a throne here on Olympus, raise your hands."

Surprisingly for a family that was known to hate my father, a lot of hands went up. Only the hands of Zeus, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Ares stayed down.

"Very well then," Zeus said. "Let us welcome the new members of the Olympian council then."

He waved his hand and two black thrones appeared. One was right next to Poseidon's, and the other was in between the thrones of Artemis and Hermes.

"You can make whatever changes you want to your thrones," Zeus said. "Anyways, now that the matters are all resolved, council is dismissed."

Zeus and Hera were the first to teleport away, followed by the majority of the gods. The only ones left in the throne room were Artemis, Hestia, my father, and I.

To my surprise, it was Artemis who approached me, followed by her lieutenant, Thalia.

"Alexander," Artemis said. "I'm glad you didn't break your oath."

I nodded. "You're welcome."

"It was quite … noble, risking your life to save Thalia." She turned to Thalia. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. You can say your goodbyes before we leave. I'll be waiting outside the throne room."

"Yes my lady," Thalia said as we watched Artemis walk away.

"So," I began. "You've been a great friend. Thanks for sticking up for me back there."

"Likewise," Thalia replied. "And you're welcome."

I smiled. "Well, I'll miss you being around a lot."

Thalia laughed, and then hugged me. "I guess you didn't need me as a shield after all."

"No," I said, laughing along with her.

"Bye Alex."

"I'll be sure to drop by once in a while," I said.

"Don't drop by when we're on move with Lady Artemis though," Thalia replied. "I don't think you'll want a million arrows aimed at your head."

"I know, I know. I'll drop by when you're at camp."

"Alright then, see you when I see you."

"You too," I said as I waved.

I watched Thalia sprint over to where Artemis stood before turning around to see my father.

"Well son," father said. "I can't help but say that I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

Then my father smiled, which was one of those really special yet extremely dangerous and terrifying moments.

"You like her don't you?" he asked. "Thalia, the daughter of Zeus."

"What?" I said with disbelief.

"You're the lord of truth remember?" father replied. "Can't lie."

"Fine," I admitted. "Yes, I do."

"You do know that you can't have her right? Since she's a hunter and all."

"I know," I said glumly, "Even if she does fall in love with me, her immortality will be taken away, then she'll age, and eventually die. The cycle of life and death; as your son, how could I not know?"

"What I'm trying to say Alex, is that … you can still protect and watch over her as a god even though you can't love her."

"Alright," I said. "And is there anything we can do about Nico's memory?"

"You're the lord of the five sacred rivers," father replied. "It's in your power to fix things that have to do with that. You can return all of Nico's memories, return partial bits of his memories, or leave him as he is right now. It's your choice. Now, I have more judging to do, so I'll be off."

He vanished with that said, leaving me alone on Olympus to ponder on what to do about my half-brother. Why are decisions so hard to make?

* * *

**The end is coming close, and I am still pondering whether or not to write a sequel to this flc. Tell me what you think with a review, and feel free to suggest any ideas with a PM or review. This is my present to all of you for the new year of 2011 coming up. Farewell, for now ... **

**~the ghost king**


	14. Chapter 14

**Alexander ~**

It was definitely a hard decision to make, but after the three straight days of confining myself to a room and only thinking about Nico's situation did I finally come to a conclusion and return all of his memories. At first, my half brother was disappointed that I had chosen to return even the memories of his sister's deaths, but soon thought otherwise. Nico still stays at Camp Half-Blood but often visits the Underworld, obviously to see his sister, Bianca, who was now happily at Elysium, never to be manipulated by the Titans again.

Life as a god and especially one on the Olympian council was stressful and routine but was balanced out by some fun times as well. Who knew that an Olympian party could be so much fun, especially one hosted by Dionysus, who was known as the most boring and grumpy god? Being the Lord of Truth as well as the five sacred rivers wasn't as easy as I once thought it would be. I could hear all the promises and vows that mortals, demigods, and even the gods made. I also knew whenever promises or vows were broken as well as whomever it was that broke it. It surprised me how many promises and vows were made each day, and it pained me to know how many were broken eventually. I respected those who kept their promises or vows though, some of them even made me smile because of their dedication and love for others or what they are passionate about.

I was sitting on my throne here on Olympus when I heard one particular broken promise that completely struck me and completely pissed me off. A father had promised his wife that he would look after their newborn daughter when she died. Once the father agreed that he would, the mother took her final breath with her newborn child in her lifeless arms. The father blamed his daughter for his wife's death and whipped her continuously with his belt until she was covered completely in blood before leaving her there to die. I immediately teleported to where the newborn child lay, willing all of my godly powers to heal the dying girl. Fortunately with all the prayers to my father, the Three Fates did not will this girl's string of life to be cut. It was right then that I made one of my most drastic decisions as a god, I claimed this girl as my daughter. There was an image of a golden wolf and five silver intertwining streaks spinning above her head, my symbol, officially declaring that this girl was now my rightful daughter.

"I shall name you Aletheia," I said as I wrapped her up in my black robe. "I swear on the River Styx that I will always protect and watch over you. Nothing like what your birthfather did to you will ever happen again." Thunder boomed in the distance, and the promise that I had just made echoed through my head, confirming the vow that I the Lord of Truth had just made.

"Aletheia," I said softly again. "The Greek word for truth," I whispered to my sleeping daughter, which I held tight against my chest. "You have been given the power to determine truth and lie as well as the power to shadow travel whenever you need to." I said as I focused on my powers and transferred some of it over to her.

I sighed. There was no way that I could take care of Aletheia by myself since I had no experience at all with babies or even a sibling, but there was only one place that I could take her; a place that she would be safe, a place where she would valued for who she was, a place where she would be accepted as a member of a family, an everlasting one. I was going to bring her to the hunt.

* * *

**I apologize for the extremely long amount of time it took to update this story as well as the short length of this chapter, but writer's block has overcome me yet again, making my mind come up with nothing but blank thoughts. I'll try my best to update this, as well as other fics that I have. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please R&R!**

**~the ghost king**


	15. Chapter 15

**Alexander ~**

One of the things about being the Lord of Truth and the five sacred rivers is that I knew where everyone that had made a vow or promise was located. It was kind of cool but annoying at the same time since it was like I was a living GPS system, and it is extremely irritating to have a bunch of gods ask me where another god was. I'm quite happy that I actually know the exact location of where Artemis and her hunters were, otherwise, I'd have to go through every forest just to find where there campsite is. Since they're on the move everyday though, it would be practically impossible to do so.

I teleported a mile out from where Artemis and her hunters were camping out for the night, making sure that Aletheia was cradled safely in my arms. I could see the fire that was blazing within the camp, which was definitely well shielded from any mortal eyes. I smiled to myself at the thought of Thalia being there with the rest of her sisters. I haven't seen her for months, and how I missed that "Death to Barbie" shirt, as well as those breathtaking electric blue eyes of hers. Now, I thought to myself, let's see the full potential of the hunters of Artemis.

I sprung up a tree, jumping from one to another. It wasn't long before there were arrows flying at me, surprising me even at how fast the hunters could sense an intruder in the midst. Knowing that the hunters were on to me now, I pushed harder so that I was practically flying from tree to tree. I was getting closer to the camp, and the hunters knew that as well, probably holding their ground already with their weapons as well as their bows drawn out. After making sure that my hood was on properly, I dropped down from the trees and landed softly with both feet planted on the ground. I took a deep breath before summoning my Stygian iron sword by twisting my ring around once. Here goes, I thought to myself as I ran down the forest, advancing on the camp.

The arrows continued to fly at me with greater speed as I used my sword to slice away those that came close to Aletheia and I. The hunters must have been extremely pissed off at me for being able to evade all their efforts into keeping me out, since they were all glaring at me. I couldn't resist smirking before they charged at me, swords in their hands. The hunters attacked fiercely, while I countered, careful not attack at all and only strike when I needed to defend. The hunters and I were still dueling when a clap of thunder stopped all action. Thalia picked up her spear and looked at me, clearly not knowing who I was because of my hood that covered up almost all of my face. Thalia charged at me with her spear but stopped since she realized that I wasn't doing anything to defend myself, with only the sword at my side and my other hand still holding Aletheia.

"Show yourself", Thalia said softly, but clearly an order.

I was just about to speak when a hunter interrupted me by firing an arrow right at my chest. I didn't even have time to raise my sword and slice the arrow in half; all I could do was turn sideways abruptly, protecting Aletheia.

"Foolish male," the huntress who shot the arrow hissed.

"Enough Tiffany!" Thalia yelled. "Show yourself," Thalia said, turning back to me.

I laughed, earning a few glares from the other hunters.

"Oh Thalia, I'm surprised that you don't recognize me," I said as I took off my hood, wincing a bit since I was using the arm that had an arrow embedded to it.

"Alex!" Thalia said smiling once she saw who I was. "What did I tell you about visiting when we're not at Camp Half-Blood?"

"Well … I missed you!" I said.

She laughed. "I missed you as well. Sorry about the hunters attacking you … and your arm."

"It's alright," I replied. "Anyways," I said, getting serious again. "Do you know where your mistress is?"

"I'm right here," Artemis said, emerging from behind Thalia.

"Lady Artemis," I said as I got down on one knee. "Please … I have a favor to ask of you."

Artemis nodded. "Follow me," she said as she gestured to a large silver tent.

* * *

**There you are, another chapter that's complete. Thanks for all the reviews that were for the last chapter. I promise you all that I'll try my best to update as soon as I can.**

**~the ghost king**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alexander ~ **

I followed the goddess into the large silver tent, still cradling Aletheia with one arm to my chest. I was definitely surprised that she had slept through all the jumping on the trees as well as the fighting with the hunters. I put my hand on Aletheia's cheek and began stroking it slowly, glad that Morpheus was giving my daughter pleasant dreams that kept her from waking up.

"Alexander, what is this favor you are asking of me?" Artemis asked.

"Lady Artemis," I said. "This child that I am holding in my arms is my daughter Aletheia, whom I have just claimed rightfully mine. Her mother died giving birth to her and asked her husband to promise that he would look after their newborn daughter before she died. Her husband agreed, but once the mother died, he was so consumed with anger and hate towards the child that had caused the death of his wife that he used his belt to whip her continuously before leaving her alone to die. I was watching the whole time, and once the father left, I immediately went to heal the child and finally, claimed her as my own."

Artemis nodded, and gestured for me to continue.

"What I am asking for you to give Aletheia your blessing, Lady Artemis." I said as I knelt on the ground with one knee before the goddess. "Please allow her to join the hunt, a place where it would be safe for her, a place where she would be accepted as a member of an everlasting family."

"I did not know that you thought this highly of the hunt," Artemis said with a small smile. "I will accept your request, Alexander, but there is one thing that I would like you to do in return."

"I'll do anything you ask of me," I replied.

"I would like you to take an oath of chastity like my aunt Hestia, my sister Athena, and myself have taken."

"Is there any particular reason that you are asking me to do this?" I asked the goddess.

Artemis laughed. "It's just something to get back at Aphrodite."

"Very well then," I said. "I swear on the River Styx that I will remain chaste for the rest of my immortal life."

Thunder boomed in the distance and another vow was registered in my mind, signaling that what I had just said was taken into account.

"Did you give her any powers?" Artemis asked me.

"Yes," I replied. "The power to determine truth and lie as well as the power to shadow travel at will."

"I shall train her personally myself," Artemis said. "She will need to take the vow to become a hunter once she reaches the age of eleven."

"Anything you wish," I said as I gave Aletheia to Artemis. "And thank you for doing this favor for me, Lady Artemis."

"You're welcome," Artemis said. "You can always watch over her, but keep in mind that you can't directly interfere."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said before leaving to look for Thalia.

* * *

**There you are, the meeting with Artemis and Alex. Thanks for all the reviews I received for the previous chapters! And tell me what you think about this chapter.**

**~the ghost king**


	17. Chapter 17

**Alexander ~**

Thalia led me into her tent, which resulted in a fair amount of glares from all of the Hunters. I was glad that the lieutenant told them all off very quickly, otherwise I'd probably pinned to a tree with silver arrows, even if I was a god. Once inside, Thalia gestured for me to sit down on the fur-covered ground. Even though it wasn't as comfortable as Artemis' tent (as expected), it was still better than sitting on the rock hard ground.

"It's so great to see you, Alex," Thalia said with a smile. "It's been a long time."

I smiled back at the girl I loved, but could never have. It has been a while since we've been together. Has it already been a few months since the last time I saw her at Olympus? I guess time really does fly, especially when you're immortal.

"It's good to see you too, Thals," I said. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good," she answered. "The usual, just been busy slaying monsters, keeping the girls inline, and going on the occasional quest for my Lady. What have you been up to?"

I shrugged. "Nothing much, just listening to oaths and promises being made all day long. I've also been looking after the sacred rivers in the underworld. Once in a while, I also check up on Nico. It's actually not that fun to hear voices all the time inside your head. It gives me headaches sometimes."

"So is there anything else going on that's interesting in your life?" Thalia asked.

"I recently adopted a daughter," Alex replied with a nod. "You'll be meeting her very soon, since she'll be a hunter of Artemis."

"Does she have a name?" the lieutenant asked.

"Yes," the young god answered. "Her name is Aletheia. I claimed her because of a promise that her biological father broke. I couldn't ignore her, especially when she was hurt and left to die."

"Is there any specific reason why you decided to have her join the hunt?"

"Well, the first reason is that I have absolutely no idea how to raise a child. Second of all, I don't think raising her in the Underworld would be the best. Knowing Nico, he'd probably corrupt her innocent mind when my back is turned. I figured that having her join the hunt would be the most ideal situation for her, because I know her sisters and her Lady will raise her and treat her right."

Thalia laughed. "I can totally see that happening! Nico would probably bring her around the Underworld and scare her with the creatures that roam around there. Besides, now we can train her to grow up as a man-hating hunter that will chase Nico around and shoot him with hundreds of arrows."

"I just hope she'll respect my decision and understand that it was very hard to make. I don't want to make her feel like I'm abandoning her, you know?"

"Don't worry," Thalia reassured the god. "I'm sure that if you drop by once in a while and chat with her, you'll still develop a really good bond."

I brought my gaze up to her eyes, those beautiful blue orbs that were gleamed with electricity, so full of energy and life. Thalia raised an eyebrow in response, making me look down at ground in embarrassment.

"Are you okay, Alex?" she asked with worry evident in her eyes.

"Yes," I answered quickly as I blinked. "I'm fine, just thinking."

"About what?" Thalia asked.

I had absolutely no idea whether or not to deny the feelings that I have for her. It was forbidden! She was a hunter of Artemis, meaning that she was completely off limits, even for gods. I also vowed to Artemis that I would control my feelings and never fall in love with anyone.

"Alex?"

"It's nothing," the god replied. "I just have some business to take care of."

"Oh, ok then."

"I should get going then," Alex said awkwardly.

"Are you going to visit sometime soon?" Thalia asked.

"Of course," the god answered.

"Alright then," Thalia said. "I guess you should get going now. I don't want to hold you back from your godly duties."

"No worries. And don't worry Thals, I'll come check on you and Aletheia in a couple of weeks or so."

"See you soon!" Thalia said, giving Alex a hug.

* * *

"Lady Artemis?" Alex addressed the goddess.

"What is the matter that you need to discuss, Alexander?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I will be leaving now. Thank you for accepting Altheia into the hunt. It really means a lot to me," the young god said.

Artemis simply nodded in response. When Alex turned around to leave the tent, the goddess finally spoke again.

"I'm glad that you have kept your oath."

The young god immediately turned around, his eyes wide in shock.

"How did you know, my lady?"

Artemis smiled knowingly, her silver eyes twinkling. "I am the goddess of the hunt and the moon. I'm very observant and during the night, I see everything."

"I don't know what to say. I love her, but I love her so much that I'm willing to stand on the sidelines so that she can remain immortal and continue to do what she wants and most importantly, to serve her Lady."

"Unlike popular belief, I do not despise all men. You are an example of one of those special few. And because you have continuously demonstrated exceptional character and integrity, I have decided to take the utmost care of Aletheia," Artemis said. "What you have done is very noble. As the goddess of childbirth, I know what happens to each and every child that is born. I am happy to know that she didn't have to be put through more suffering than she had to go through. You don't have to worry anymore, Alex. She is in very good hands, and I assure you that she will make a very fine hunter."

"For that, I am glad. Thank you again, for your willingness to help. I must return to the underworld and take care of some … issues."

"Farewell for now then," Artemis said as Alex disappeared in the darkness with a swipe of his stygian sword.

* * *

I apologize to you all for my extremely long hiatus. I can't believe that it's been almost a year since I last updated.

I would like give a shout out and a big thanks to _booknerd95_. Your inspiration and help made this chapter possible. You're the best.


	18. Chapter 18

Being a god had many advantages. I no longer aged and could do pretty much whatever I wanted. Shadow travelling no longer tired me out. I got to visit places that I probably wouldn't have had a chance to see if I were still a normal demigod. Often I would travel to the Underworld whenever Hades needed me. I mostly kept to myself during those years in which I traveled. That way, I wouldn't be able to fall for anyone, which made Aphrodite extremely upset. I knew that I had to keep my oath to Artemis. I didn't want to find out the consequences of breaking an oath as the god of truth himself.

As an immortal, time was no longer a big concern for me. Days would pass by without me noticing. People I had once considered my friends grew older, some died, and so, I felt more alone that I used to be. I did make friends with some minor gods, but they still feared me because I was a son of Hades. The saying that old habits die hard was true for the gods as well (Zeus included, which still continues to piss Hera off).

It was hard getting used to the whole godhood thing. Even after fifty years, I still wasn't used to the voices in my head, the promises that people made and broke. It pained me when those promises were broken. Often times, it felt like a pinch or a skin irritation, but I fit was a major one, it would make me feel sick. In those cases, I would lie down in my room and rest for a couple days.

One day I decided to travel to the Hunter's Camp so that I could check my on my daughter. This was something I would do once every few years. I was sad that I had missed out on a lot of her life including her first word, her first steps, and even her vows of becoming a Hunter of Artemis at age eleven. It comforted me though, knowing that Aletheia was in good hands. I did know that she was having a good time in the hunt, which was all that mattered to me, her happiness. She had a loving family with many sisters to take care of her.

I shadow travelled to the spot where the Hunters were dining for the night after a long hunt. I would usually stay in the shadows and wait until the fire started. Aletheia always sensed me though. When the fire started, my daughter aliped away from the circle of girls clad in silver outfits. She always found me surrounded and cloaked in the shadows.

"Lurking again?" Aletheia asked as she stood by my side.

"I do not lurk," I protested. "I'm merely watching."

"Yeah, watching from a distance in the shadows with your hood drawn up. That's borderline stalking," she said. "Seriously, dad, Lady Artemis knows you're here. You don't have to hide."

"I'm not hiding," I insisted. "It's just what I do."

She sighed and tugged on my hand. "Come on, dad. E'll to somewhere private to talk. I barely get to see you."

"I'm sorry," I said, and followed her into the deeper parts of the woods, far away from the company of the other Hunters.

She shrugged. "I understand. I know you have your godly duties to perform. I just wish you could visit more."

"I can't promise you that I will, but I promise to try my best," I replied.

"That's all that I ask," Aletheia said.

Aletheia stopped and turned to face me. Standing up on her tiptoes, she pushed back my hood. She had light blue eyes that stared down into the depths of my soul. She had no physical attributes of me since I wasn't her biological father. I still haven't told her of her real parents. Maybe I would later, but for now, I want her to be protected.

"You look tired," my daughter observed. "It's the voices, isn't it? They're bothering you again, aren't they?"

"I would be lying if I said no," I answered as I sat down, leaning against a tree. I patted the ground beside me and Aletheia join me.

"Well, maybe you can take a day off," she said with a smiled.

I knew what she was thinking. If I took a day off, we would be able to spend that day together.

"It doesn't work that way, sweetie," I said and kissed the top of her head. "Gods and goddesses can't just take a day off. That could lead to mass panic and the world would be in chaos. Don't worry about me though; it just takes some time to get used to. I've talked to other gods and they all say the same. The first century is hard to get used to. I'm still trying to get used to the voices."

"But what about the pain?" she asked. "Last time you visited, you almost fainted."

I did remember that time. I had doubled over in pain, clutching my middle. A very serious oath had been broken by one of the gods. Back then, I wished that Lady Styx had given me more instruction on how to do this job properly before she faded.

I had to choose my words carefully. "It's okay," I said. "I don't feel like fainting when a serious oath is broken. I just have to rest for a couple of days before all is good. I think it's because your old man is getting better at his job."

She laughed and fell into my arms. "You're not old, dad. You're just youthful."

"Thanks for the compliment, sweetheart." I wrapped my arms around her. We sat in silence, enjoying the night. I always felt more revitalized at night. The shadows replenished my energy that was usually sapped from me when I tried to block the pain from all those broken oaths.

"Now," I said, "how about you show me your archery skills. I want to see how well you're doing."

Alethiea nodded and jumped up. She ran back to where the Hunters were camped to gather her quiver and bow. For a little while, she impressed me with her archery skills. Later, she insisted that I give it a try. She said that she has always wanted to see me fire a few arrows. I willed my arrows to be a little off target, making her laugh and tell me that she knew I did it purposefully. I grinned and nodded before firing three arrows straight at the bulls-eye. The moment was interrupted as one of the Hunters approached, reminding me that I should probably get going.

"Aletheia," the Hunter's melodic voice called out. "Where are you?"

"Over here," she called back.

The Hunter pushed through the thick bush and came to where we stood. I stepped a further back into the shadows just in case I had to make a quick escape. I might've overstayed my welcome.

"The girls are settling down for the night," the Hunter said. "You probably should as well. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Okay," Aletheia said as she gathered her quiver and bow. She stopped to give me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "Bye, dad. See you next time."

"Take care of yourself, sweetie," I said and kissed her forehead. "I love you/"

"Love you too." She ran off, back to the Hunter's camp, leaving me and the other Hunter alone.

"Here for your rare visit, I see," the hunter said.

"Yes," I answered. "Thanks for looking after my daughter, Thalia."

Thalia smiled and stepped closer to me. Butterflies started to flutter around in my stomach. Fifty years after meeting her, she still had the same effect on me. I pushed those feelings aside and took a step away from the shadows.

"No problem," she said. "She's a really sweet girl. She always lights up when I talk about you and the adventures we had together. You should visit more often. She misses you."

I could tell that Thalia was leaving some information out. Aletheia wasn't the only one who was missing me, she was too.

"She's not the only one," I said quietly.

She looked up, her mouth in a very tight line. She looked down at her black painted nails and spoke very quietly. "You're my only male friend that hasn't died or is going to die. Being immortal is great, but watching my old friends die isn't. The world is changing around me and sometimes it feels like I'm missing out on great opportunities."

"You're not thinking of dropping out of the Hunt are you? I asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know what to do yet. Lady Artemis has always been grateful towards me. She's offered me so much. I can't just blow her off like that."

"You know," I said, cutting in. "You do have lots of time to figure everything out. You don't have to make a choice right now.

"That's true," she said and looked back to the dim, orange glow of the Hunter's camp. ""I should get back now. Take care of yourself, Alex."

"You too," I whispered.

Thalia turned her back on me and walked briskly off towards the Hunters. I stared after her wistfully, wishing that past events had gone a different way. Embracing the shadows once again, I whisked myself away to a different destination, far away from the Hunters.

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A big thank you again to _booknerd95_. Without your help, this chapter would not be here so soon. You're the best!


	19. Chapter 19

I sat down, rubbing my forehead. The voices kept playing in my mind, speaking to me. I tried to block them out, but the harder I tried the weaker I became. I proceeded to lie down on my bed. With a wave of my hand, the lights were extinguished. It was much better in the dark. I could finally have a little bit of time to rest. The voices still went on with their pursuit to have me listen.

"I promise I'll try harder next time."

"I swear it was an accident!"

"I swear that I would never hurt you again."

They continued in this fashion for quite sometime until I grew exhausted and fell asleep. Later a knock at the door woke me from a much-needed slumber, to which I responded with a mumbled "come in". The door to my room creaked open.

"My Lord?" Are you alright?"

One of the lamps was turned on. I looked over to see who it was. Low and behold was my personal assistant, Sadie. She was a nice little shade I had found in the Underworld one day. She was very helpful as well, bringing me food, making sure I got up on time, and pushing me out the door to see Aletheia. I could hear her step closer towards me.

"You don't look so good, my Lord," she said. "Would like something to eat or drink? I can always get you some more Tylenol. That usually helps with the headaches."

"No, I'm fine," I said. "I just need a break from work."

Sadie stepped forward. She looked over me and judging by the frown on her face, she wasn't happy with what she saw. "My Lord, you look tired. You're overworked again."

"I'm fine," I insisted and tried to stand up. Sadie promptly pushed me back down onto the bed.

"No," she said firmly. "You are going to stay in bed until you feel better. I'll go tell the chefs to whip you up a little something to make you feel better. Now until I return, I want you to stay on your bed and not move."

"But the reports-"

"The reports can wait, my Lord," she said. "You have to focus on yourself right now. Focus on getting better."

I gave up trying to reason with Sadie. She always knew best when it came to my wellbeing. I took her advice and slept for the next couple of hours. When I awoke, I found my dinner sitting on a small table in my room. Dragging myself from the comfort of my bed, I sat down to the table, and looked down at my meal. I would usually eat dinner with my father, but he understood that I would sometimes be under the weather and wouldn't be able to get even a few feet from my bed.

I only managed to eat a little bit of the food that was before me. My appetite was smaller than it used to be when I was a mortal. Well, it might have been because I was a teenage boy. After pushing away my half eaten meal, I decided exercising would make me feel a little better. I left my room silently, knowing that Sadie would probably hear me and force me to get some more rest.

I made my around the Hades' palace, feeling a little more like myself already. The voices weren't as prominent, and energy was already seeping into my weary bones. Even a few hours of rest did wonders to me. I continued to walk around the palace, enjoying the quietness. Perhaps people have finally learnt that making oaths isn't exactly the best choice to make unless they really mean it.

I decided to return to my palace to fill out the reports sitting on my desk so that I could turn in early. However, each step I took felt like my stomach was being twisted into knots. I took slower steps, giving myself a moment to catch my breath. There was no point in trying to teleport myself back to my palace, I had done that before and it was one of the biggest regrets that I have. The pain was almost unbearable! But now, if I didn't make it back to my room, I would probably collapse in the middle of this deserted hallway, which has already happened before.

The twisting of my stomach grew worse. I was hunched over from the pain, somewhere someone was doing something really bad, and I was paying for it. I managed to get myself to the hallway in which my room was located. Sadie would be around here somewhere. If I collapsed, she would be able to help me.

Fumbling for the door handle, I stumbled into my room, using nearby furniture to support myself. The bed looked so far away. I wouldn't be able to make it. I sat down in my favorite velvet chair. I sunk into the plush material, not wanting to get up and move again. It made it much easier to deal with the pain if I just didn't move. However, the pain grew worse. I curled myself up into a fetal position and tried to power through it. My head was pounding, never have I felt so much pain before. It was almost too much for me to bear. When I thought it couldn't get any worse, the pain went shooting up my spine, causing me to jerk out of the fetal position and curl up on the floor.

Going deep into my mind, I searched for the culprit responsible for my pain. They would be receiving a little visit. I came upon an image of a young girl. Her face was foggy due to the fact that the pain was distracting me. The blurred image showed me that she had punk styled hair and piercing, blue eyes. When the image finally became clear, it shocked me to see the face of Thalia Grace, the daughter of Zeus.

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Kudos to _booknerd95_ for helping me out with this chapter.


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